Arginine and nitrogen mobilization in cyanobacteria

Cyanobacteria have evolved mechanisms to adapt to environmental stress and nutrient availability, including accumulation of storage compounds in inclusions and granules. As arginine is a key building block of cyanophycin, a dynamic nitrogen reservoir in many cyanobacteria, arginine metabolism plays a key role in cyanobacterial nitrogen storage and remobilization. Recently, an arginine dihydrolase AgrE/ArgZ was identified as a major arginine‐degrading enzyme in nondiazotrophic Synechocystis, which catalyzes the conversion of arginine into ornithine and ammonia. The N‐terminal domain of AgrE/ArgZ is responsible for arginine dihydrolase activity. Burnat et al. (2019) identified the arginine catabolic pathway in diazotrophic Anabaena, which starts with the reaction catalyzed by AgrE/ArgZ. Moreover, this study identified the C‐terminal domain of AgrE/ArgZ as an ornithine cyclodeaminase that catalyze the conversion of ornithine to proline. The results demonstrated that arginine is catabolized to generate glutamate by the concerted action of AgrE/ArgZ and bifunctional proline oxidase PutA in the vegetative cells of Anabaena. These findings expand our knowledge on nitrogen mobilization and redistribution in Anabaena under nitrogen‐fixation conditions. AgrE/ArgZ is widely present in many diazotrophic cyanobacteria and may be important for their contribution to marine nitrogen fixation. AgrE/ArgZ may have potential applications in metabolic engineering and biotechnology.     

玛曲县植被覆被变化及其对环境要素的响应

植被覆被变化是气象要素和人类活动综合作用的结果,能够反映区域内生态系统的演替趋势。玛曲高寒生态区作为黄河上游重要的水源涵养和补给区,具有维持区域生物多样性和生态安全,保障经济社会健康发展的重要作用,因此厘清该区域植被变化与气候及人类活动等环境要素的相互关系有助于为玛曲县生态治理与恢复提供科学参考。鉴于此,以2000-2015年MODIS/NDVI数据为基础,结合同期气象与人类活动数据,应用趋势分析法、相关分析以及通径分析等方法,分析了玛曲县植被NDVI的时空变化规律,并详细探讨了气象要素和人类活动对植被覆被变化的影响。结果表明：（1）2000-2015年玛曲县NDVI呈波动上升趋势,上升速率为0.01015/10a;各土地利用/覆被类型中,增加幅度由大到小依次为高山稀疏植被、湿地、沙化草甸、山地疏林地、高寒草甸、亚高山硬叶灌丛、亚高山阔叶灌丛和高寒草原;增加面积占相应地类总面积比例由大到小分别是高山稀疏植被（75.57%）、山地疏林地（71.45%）、沙化草甸（71.18%）、湿地（70.66%）、高寒草甸（68.15%）、亚高山硬叶灌丛（66.96%）、亚高山阔叶灌丛（66.24%）和高寒草原（66.05%）;（2）气象要素中,气温与NDVI间具有显著正相关（P < 0.05）,是影响植被覆被的决定性因子,利于植被的生长与发育;降水与NDVI间相关不显著（P > 0.05）,对植被覆被的影响较小;（3）人类活动要素中,与放牧强度密切相关的大牲畜存栏数和羊存栏数是植被生长的主控因子,其中大牲畜存栏数呈显著的抑制作用（P < 0.05）,羊存栏数具有较强的促进作用（P < 0.05）;（4）通径分析发现,气温、大牲畜存栏数和羊存栏数的决定系数依次为0.3005,-0.0563和0.0128,说明气温对NDVI的综合作用强度最高、大牲畜存栏数次之,羊存栏数最低;此外,剩余通径系数为0.53。该数值较大,表明仍有部分对NDVI增加存在影响的环境要素未考虑到,需在今后的研究中给予关注。     

Molecular recognition of a branched peptide with HIV-1 Rev Response Element (RRE) RNA

Interaction of HIV-1 rev response element (RRE) RNA with its cognate protein, Rev, is critical for HIV-1 replication. Understanding the mode of interaction between RRE RNA and ligands at the binding site can facilitate RNA molecular recognition as well as provide a strategy for developing anti-HIV therapeutics. Our approach utilizes branched peptides as a scaffold for multivalent binding to RRE IIB (high affinity rev binding site) with incorporation of unnatural amino acids to increase affinity via non-canonical interactions with the RNA. Previous high throughput screening of a 46,656-member library revealed several hits that bound RRE IIB RNA in the sub-micromolar range. In particular, the lead compound, 4B3, displayed a K_d value of 410?nM and demonstrated selectivity towards RRE. A ribonuclease protection assay revealed that 4B3 binds to the stem-loop structure of RRE IIB RNA, which was confirmed by SHAPE analysis with 234 nt long NL4-3 RRE RNA. Our studies further indicated interaction of 4B3 with both primary and secondary Rev binding sites.     

基于大鼠在体肠灌流模型研究白及有效部位在肠道的可吸收及代谢成分

为了考查白及有效部位在肠道的可吸收成分及其代谢特征。基于在体肠灌流模型,采用超高效液相色谱-四极杆-飞行时间质谱仪(UPLC-Q-TOF/MS)对收集到的健康SD大鼠循环肠灌流液、血清、胆汁进行分析检测,并结合对照品、质谱碎片信息和Masslynx V4.1工作站中的Single Mass Analysis功能,初步推测吸收和代谢产物的结构式。在大鼠血清和胆汁中,初步鉴定出1,4-二[4-(葡萄糖氧)苄基]-2-异丁基苹果酸、4-(葡萄糖氧)苄基]-2-异丁基苹果酸酯、α-异丁基苹果酸酯原型产物。在大鼠循环肠灌流液、血清和胆汁中,共鉴定出4-(葡萄糖氧)苄基]-2-异丁基苹果酸酯的脱糖后硫酸化代谢产物和二氢菲5的葡萄糖醛酸化代谢产物,其代谢产物主要生水解和葡萄糖醛酸化反应。该方法初步探究了白及有效部位在大鼠循环肠灌流液中可吸收成分和代谢特征,为阐释白及药材的药效物质基础提供实验依据。     

柯拉斯那沉香中2-(2-苯乙基)色酮类化学成分研究

为研究柯拉斯那(Aquilaria crassna Pierre ex Lecomte)沉香的化学成分。实验采用多种柱色谱方法从该沉香中分离得到9个2-(2-苯乙基)色酮类化合物,通过现代波谱学技术分别鉴定为6-甲氧基-2-[2-(3′-羟基-4′-甲氧基苯基)乙基]色酮(1)、5-羟基-6-甲氧基-2-[2-(3′-羟基-4′-甲氧基苯基)乙基]色酮(2)、tetrahydrochromone F(3)、6-甲氧基-2-[2-(3′-甲氧基-4′-羟基苯基)乙基]色酮(4)、6-甲氧基-7-羟基-2-[2-(4′-甲氧基苯基)乙基]色酮(5)、6,7-二甲氧基-2-[2-(3′-羟基-4′-甲氧基苯基)乙基]色酮(6)、6,7-二甲氧基-2-[2-(4′-甲氧基苯基)乙基]色酮(7)、6-羟基-2-[2-(4′-羟基苯基)乙基]色酮(8)、5-羟基-2-[2-(2′-羟基苯基)乙基]色酮(9)。化合物2、3和5～9均为首次从柯拉斯那所得沉香中分离得到。采用MTT法对单体化合物的细胞毒活性进行测试,测试结果表明,化合物1,2和4具有微弱的细胞毒活性。     

Hippo信号通路在颈动脉结扎所致大鼠动脉血管重构中的表达及其意义

目的:在建立大鼠血管重构模型基础上探讨Hippo信号通路在该模型中的表达及意义。方法:模型组(n=40)经颈部正中切口游离出左侧颈总动脉,用6-0不可吸收线在尽量靠近近心端处结扎,完全阻断血流。对照组(n=20)仅将手术线穿过颈总动脉而不结扎,闭合切合。14 d后处死所有动物,经原手术路径分离颈总动脉,收集结扎处至远心端的动脉。用HE以及MASSON染色观察血管形态以及纤维化,免疫组织化学染色法检测颈动脉中α-肌动蛋白(α-MSA)和增殖细胞核抗原(PCNA)的表达,Western blot检测yes相关蛋白(YAP),PDZ结合基序的转录辅激活子(TAZ),TEAD1,Bax,Bcl-2的表达。结果:与对照组相比,造模组HE染色提示血管重构明显,新生内膜/中膜比例明显增加,MASSON染色提示纤维化明显增加;免疫组织化学染色法提示造模组血管α-MSA及PCNA表达明显增加; Western blot提示造模组血管YAP,TAZ,TEAD1,Bcl-2表达增加,而Bax表达降低,Bax/Bcl-2蛋白比例明显降低。结论:本研究成功建立颈动脉结扎介导的大鼠血管重构模型,另外证明Hippo信号通路在颈动脉结扎介导的大鼠血管重构模型中明显激活,以及可能介导增殖、凋亡相关的Bax/Bcl-2比值的改变,进而参与平滑肌细胞增殖促进血管重构。     

大鲵皮肤色素提取工艺及抗氧化研究

为优化大鲵皮肤黑色素的提取工艺条件,探讨大鲵皮肤黑色素组成成分及体外抗氧化活性,采用酶法和碱溶酸沉法提取大鲵皮肤黑色素,以氢氧化钠浓度、液料比、提取温度为影响色素提取率因素,优化黑色素提取工艺条件,用紫外-可见光谱仪、红外光谱仪和超高效液相质谱仪测定黑色素的光谱特性,测定其抗氧化性。结果表明:大鲵皮肤黑色素最佳提取工艺条件为氢氧化钠浓度1.5 mol/L、液料比1∶15、提取温度45℃,黑色素提取率达0.65%。大鲵皮肤黑色素的紫外最大吸收波长为214 nm,由真黑色素和脱黑色素两种色素组成,其对超氧阴离子自由基的清除率为30.51%,对羟基自由基的清除率为54.17%。大鲵皮肤黑色素具有一定的体外抗氧化能力。